Graeme McDowell fears a dominance of PGA Tour based Europeans on the team could spoil Europe’s hopes of retained the Ryder Cup later this year at Gleneagles.

McDowell had been asked on the eve of the Arnold Palmer Invitational that given his comfort in now competing on the PGA Tour whether he finds it difficult to adjust returning to compete on the European Tour.

Graeme McDowell fooling around with fellow Northern Irishman as the 2012 Ryder Cup. (Photo – Colum Watts/www.golffile.ie)

And the question went on to ask the former US Open winner and three-time Ryder Cup star whether it might be a factor when it comes to the Ryder Cup later this year at Gleneagles.

“There is no doubt the European Tour, one of the great things  about that Tour is learning to play in all sorts of conditions and climates and cultures, and grasses from Singapore to northern Scotland,” he said.

“I mean really hot and humid to freezing cold and windy. We do play in everything on the European Tour, which to me really kind of rounds you off as a player.

“There is an element to these guys being a little spoiled over here on the PGA Tour, if the greens drop below 10 on the Stimp, the heads are off.  Of it there’s too much sand in the traps or the rough is an inch longer than normal.  Literally the conditioning  they can achieve over here with the climate is amazing.

“But then Scotland, Gleneagles this year, at the Ryder Cup, three-quarters of our team are probably going to be PGA Tour players, who are slowly losing the art form of playing in tough conditions.

“I mean I’d say I’ve softened up over the years. I’m not that bad weather player I was.  I don’t feel like I am.  And that can only cultivated by playing in bad weather.

“And we don’t play in the rain here.   I don’t think these guys out here own rain jackets.

“I took off the tag off my rain jacket there a couple of weeks ago at Doral for the first time this year.

“So it’s an interesting one.   I feel like the golf between the two teams has kind of lessened because maybe the European Team is not the rounded team we used to be because most of the team are playing more in the States.

“The Americans are much used to Europe, because the top-50 in the world are becoming much more global players, as well.

“So we are starting to diversify their game.  That’s good.  It’s going to be an interesting Ryder Cup.  So who knows what Scotland will bring.  Hopefully the sun will shine, and it will be a great week.  But then it will be a great week anyway.”